Stargazers and keen astronomy fans are in for an absolute treat this month as a spectacular meteor shower is set to dazzle UK skies.
Taking its name from the constellation of Perseus, where many of the meteors originate, the Perseid Meteor Shower is described as being “one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky”, according to the Royal Astronomical Society, and is one of the highlights of many meteor hunters’ calendars thanks to its high hourly rate and bright meteors.
There’s potential for up to 100 shooting stars an hour to be seen with the naked eye.
If that wasn’t impressive enough as it is, there’s is also a high chance of seeing the brightest meteors known as ‘fireballs’, as well as meteors with long trains.
The Royal Astronomical Society explains that this showstopping astronomical event is caused by the Earth slamming into the debris that’s been left behind by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.
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This year the Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of 12-13 August, giving skywatchers an impressive summer treat – weather permitting! 🌠
— Royal Astronomical Society (@RoyalAstroSoc) August 2, 2023
Despite each meteor being mostly no bigger than a grain of sand in reality, they still manage to produce an eye-catching shooting stream of light in the sky as they burn up after hitting the Earth’s atmosphere at around. 130,000 mph.
As far as 2023 is concerned, the Perseid Meteor Shower is already active and has been since 17 July, with the event expected to continue right through until 24 August – but luckily for us here in the UK, the shower will peak and be at its most spectacular next weekend on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 August.
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And what’s more, is that meteor showers are known to be very easy to watch too, with no special equipment needed, so even amateur stargazers and budding astronomers can get in on the action and witness the spectacle with their own eyes – but when exactly is the best time to see the shooting stars? Where is the best place to head to? And how is best to prepare?
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s the best way to see a meteor shower?
The most crucial thing to do is plan ahead, and check the unpredictable British weather forecast before you head out, as if the day you’ve picked to dedicate to seeing the meteor shower is overcast or just generally grim, the Royal Astronomical Society suggests finding a different location or going out on a different day.
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The days leading up to the peak are usually better than the days after.
In this instance, binoculars and telescopes will restrict the size of the sky that’s visible to you, so no binoculars and telescopes are necessary.
Spectacular meteor shower to dazzle UK skies next weekend / Credit: Michał Mancewicz (via Unsplash)
Where’s the best place to head to?
Observers can keep an eye out for the Perseid meteor shower wherever they are, but according to the Royal Astronomical Society, there are a few certain kinds of places that will increase your chances of spotting meteors.
Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, so the more sky you can see the better.
It’s also suggested that you find an area with a clear view of the horizon and away from trees and buildings, as well as reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view, so this could mean heading out to the countryside or a nearby park, if you can.
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If not, apparently you can even do something as simple as turning your back to street lamps for a better chance at catching the action.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is “one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky” / Credit: Team Louish (via Flickr)
What’s the best time to catch all the action?
As already mentioned, the Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August this year, with the number of meteors set to increase every night until it reaches its peak next weekend, and then after which, it’ll tail off.
The peak falls on the night of the 12th and before dawn on 13 August, with the maximum being about three days before the New Moon this year when conditions are the most “favourable”.
The Royal Astronomical Society says the best time to see anything in the night sky is when the sky is darkest and when the target is at its highest position in the sky, so for meteor showers, this usually means between midnight and around 5:30am.
Find out more about the Perseid Meteor Shower here.
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Benson Boone has announced a headline gig in Manchester – and it’s a big one
Danny Jones
American pop sensation and unrivalled king of unnecessary front flips, Benson Boone, has just announced his first-ever headline Manchester arena gig as part of a new arena tour.
The solo artist and acrobatic chart-topper has seen a meteoric rise in the US and, as is usually the case across the Atlantic, he’s become increasingly popular over here too.
Benson may have performed here in Manchester before as part of the 2024 MTV EMAs and for a small show at The Deaf Institute, but now big fans have the added Boone of getting to watch a standalone show at one of Europe’s leading indoor entertainment venues.
Announced on Friday, 30 May, the 22-year-old will be making his way across the pond from Washington for a limited run of UK concerts, with a date at Co-op Live arena being one of just five dates.
Extending his ‘American Heart Tour’ ahead of the release of his eponymous sophomore record, with this autumn leg, Co-op Live will mark his individual visit to 0161.
The Grammy-nominated artist has earned several nods of recognition already for his first album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, which was released just last spring.
He has been described as among the current trend of male singers who fit into the American Idol and ‘Voice audition pop’ genre (a term recently coined online), along with the likes of Teddy Swims, Shawn Mendes, Alex Warren and others.
Regardless of the slightly tongue-in-cheek term, he’s become a huge hit around the world and landing him is still a big coup for the venue that has already welcomed similarly massive pop contemporaries like Swims, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
In case you’re wondering just how big a deal he is over in the States, even this early in his career, his domestic headline dates sold out in seconds, quite literally…
The last time he visited Co-op Live was to perform at the most recent MTV EMAs
Benson Boone is coming to Manchester on Monday, 27 October and will be playing just two other British venues: The O2 in London (two nights) and the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.
Safe to say you don’t want to miss this one if you like soaring vocals and lots of flipping.
General admission tickets go live at 10am on Thursday, 5 June, but Co-op Members can gain access via the arena’s official pre-sale window from the same time on Tuesday (3 Jun).
Emily Sergeant -
3rd August 2023 
